Commonwealth Games gold medallist, Blessing Okagbare, will hit the Team Nigeria camp on Thursday in readiness for the beginning of the athletic event at the ongoing All Africa Games in Congo. Former Commonwealth long jump champion, Yusuf Ali, told our correspondent that the sprinter would arrive camp in the morning to join the rest of the athletics team.
Yusuf dismissed the news that Okabare had been banned by the National Sports Commission and the Athletic Federation of Nigeria following her refusal to participate in the 200m race, for Nigeria, during the just concluded IAAF World Championship in Beijing, China.
Yusuf said Okagbare called him on Wednesday to confirm that she would be arriving in camp on Thursday, adding that the news that she was banned from participating for Nigeria at the Olympics in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil next year, was baseless.
“She told me she has the doctor’s report on her condition which she would tender to the board. I urge Nigerians not to put the athlete under undue pressure. I also want us not to over rely on her,” he stated.
